Clergy Columns: "Dear Fellow Laborers in the Vineyard" by Vicar Jens, February 2004

This month I would like to use this spot to introduce my internship project to you. Every Vicar during his or her year in a parish is required to complete a project that will affect the congregation even after the vicar’s internship has ended.

My project is to start a partnership between our congregation and St. Nicholas Lutheran Church in Potsdam, Germany. The original German name of that congregation is “Evangelische St. Nikolaikirchengemeinde Potsdam”, or short “Nikolaikirche.” St. Nikolai was Agneta’s and my last church home before we came to America. Thus, we have many good friends in that parish.

The idea for this partnership was first born because both parishes have the same name. But they have more in common: in both churches, about the same number of people worship every Sunday, and both churches are in close proximity to the respective nation’s capital. Potsdam is about 45 minutes from Berlin (and also not far from all the Luther sites). St. Nikolai is one of the famous old Prussian churches, built by the renowned architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel from 1830 – 1837. Many tourists, even those who are not Christians, come to visit the church because of its beauty and history.

In December, Agneta and I had a chance to visit St. Nikolai again and to talk about the partnership project. A member of St. Nikolai, Anja Nietz, has volunteered to be our official contact person. Anja has spent a year in the U.S. as an exchange student and is fluent in English. On our side here at Saint Nicholas, Barbara Harris, who speaks German, has agreed to be the contact person. I believe Barbara and Anja will form a great team. The project has been presented to both church councils, and is supported by them.

Now we are called to bring that partnership to life, and I am eager to hear any ideas you might have. Some suggestions I have received so far are:

Prayer for each other’s prayer concerns
Exchange of church newsletters
Exchange of small and locally typical Christmas gifts
Letter or email contact between single parishioners who are interested in having a pen pal
A German class, taught by the Vicar, for parishioners of Saint Nicholas
Visiting each other at some point

Please let Barbara Harris or me know if you would like to get involved, or if you have any ideas how we can make this partnership grow and tie a firm transatlantic bond.